Roger Wilson retires from professional rugby on Saturday believing he was never given a chance with Ireland.

Ulster’s most capped player feels he wasn’t appreciated by several Ireland coaches, particularly Declan Kidney.

And claims he joined Northampton Saints in 2008 – the same year Kidney became Ireland coach – to boost his Ireland prospects, but it didn’t work out. He was only capped once – on a summer tour of Japan in 2005 under Eddie O’Sullivan.

“You can’t read other people’s minds,” he said.

“You’re given the excuse at the time that you’re playing abroad and it wasn’t easy to get back, but the (Northampton) coaches were willing to release me.

“It was only an hour’s flight away so I think that was a poor excuse by them (Ireland coaches).

“I don’t think about it too much anymore but maybe years down the line it will annoy me a fair bit.”